


Apple Pie

by celestewright



Category: Big Little Lies (TV), Big Little Lies - Liane Moriarty
Genre: F/F, big little lies, girlxgirl
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-18
Updated: 2019-05-18
Packaged: 2020-03-07 11:34:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18872380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celestewright/pseuds/celestewright
Summary: this fic is set in the 50s btw





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Apple Pie](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/482131) by Donkatsu. 
  * Inspired by [Apple Pie](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/482134) by Donkatsu. 



“Looks like they finally sold the house.”

Celeste turns her head when she hears his voice. “Who did?”

“The Franks.” Perry looks at her and points out the window.

Celeste wipes her hands on her apron and rushes to his side, peeking through the window to see their next-door neighbor shaking hands with another couple. “It’s about time,” she says as she takes note of their soon-to-be new neighbors.

The man is not very tall but looks well groomed and his overall appearance suggests that he’s made himself quite a nice fortune. His wife is of short stature with long blond hair and pale skin.

They watch until their neighbors walk the unknown couple to their car, smiles all around. Then he returns to his chair to resume reading his newspaper, leaving his wife who’s still lurking, gathering information to relay to the other housewives.

The couple outside gets into their car and is about to drive away when the woman suddenly turns her head towards the house next door, eyes meeting Celeste’s through the window, surprising the latter.

Normally, Celeste would take a step back and retreat from view but what the blond woman does next catches her so off guard that she is unable to move a muscle.

The blonde smirks at her while they lock gaze.

It’s not a friendly smile or a grin. It’s a solid smirk, complete with one raised eyebrow.

“Don’t burn your pie.”

Her husband’s voice snaps her out of it and she quickly returns to the kitchen to check on her cooking.

As she goes about preparing dinner, her mind can’t stop thinking about the woman she just saw.

She’s very pretty. Petite. Cute, she thinks to herself. But that smirk. Why did she smirk at me like that? Was she sizing me up? Does she think that she’s better than me?

Unconsciously, she starts fixing her hair while briefly checking her reflection on one of the new pie tins she just bought.

But I look presentable, even if I do say so myself.

A small frown appears on her face as the train of thought about the blond woman continues, increasing her curiosity.

By the time she sits down across from her husband to eat, Celeste has made up her mind to get to know more about that woman as soon as she moves in next door and set her straight because no one can look at Mrs. Celeste Wright that way and gets away with it.

—-

“I think I’m going to like living here,” she says as she checks her reflection on the small mirror in her powder compact and fixes her make-up.

“Hm? Why is that?” asks the man sitting next to her, driving the car.

“Did you see our soon-to-be neighbor?”

“No. Why?” Ed glances at her, sees her smirk and knows. “You saw something you liked, didn’t you?”

“Maybe,” she replies enigmatically.

“Be careful, Madeline. This is a suburb. I’m pretty sure most people here are married.”

“So? Never stopped you before.”

“Touché,” he replies with a chuckle. “But do be careful. Let’s not get kicked out of here too soon, okay?”

“Yes, husband dearest,” she says cutely and laughs when she sees him shuddering.


	2. Chapter 2

Celeste has just finished applying her lipstick when her husband appears at their bedroom doorway, slightly frowning at her.

“It’s just a courtesy visit. No more than ten minutes,” he says, tired of waiting. “Why are you taking forever to get ready?”

She shifts her gaze, looking at Perry through the mirror’s reflection. “I’m doing this for your benefit too. When I look good, you look good,” she tells him.

He shakes his head and leaves after mumbling that if she’s not ready in five minutes, he’ll go on without her.

Celeste ignores him and does one final check on her appearance. She doesn’t normally take this long to get ready to visit a new neighbor but the memory of their first encounter – and the smirk that blonde gave her – is still fresh in her mind and she is determined to look perfect for their first official meeting.

She stands up, fixes her dress and goes down to the kitchen, taking a warm tin of apple pie she baked right before she changed and got ready. Her apple pie is the best in the neighborhood and she’s damn proud of that fact.

“Let’s go then,” she says as she carefully holds the tin and walks towards her husband who’s already waiting at the door.

They walk down the driveway to the pavement, crossing the small distance to the house next door.

He rings the doorbell and straightens up, inching closer to his wife as he waits for the door to be opened.

Seconds later, they’re faced with a smiling man who greets them with a friendly, “Hello”.

“Hello, we’re the Wrights from next door,” says him. “I’m Perry and this is my wife Celeste.”

Celeste flashes her trademark smile and shows her new neighbor the pie in her hands. “Welcome to the neighborhood,” she cheerfully says as she hands over the tin.

“Wow, thank you!” replies the man who shakes his neighbor’s hand and introduces himself as Ed Mackenzie. Then he turns his head and calls out, “Honey! The Wrights from next door are here! And they brought pie!”

Celeste can’t help but crane her neck, trying to take a peek inside the house.

“Come on in!” The man of the house opens the door wider, stepping aside to let his guests in. “My wife should be here soon. She’s preparing dinner. Would you like to join us?” he asks politely.

“That’s very kind of you but we can’t stay long, unfortunately. We’re meeting some friends for dinner later,” declines Perry as he takes a seat on the sofa after his neighbor has gestured at him to do so. His wife follows suit, sitting next to him.

“I’ll go put this pie in the kitchen,” says Ed. “Please make yourselves at home. What would you like to drink? We have tea, coffee, soda pops and beer. I think we even have ginger ale, if I’m not mistaken. Will check with the missus.”

Perry chooses the beer while she goes for the ginger ale.

“Be right back.”

Once Ed has disappeared to the back of the house, Celeste freely takes a look around the residence for as much as she can from where she’s sitting. The house is bigger than theirs though not by much and it appears that the new owners haven’t done much redecorating. The layout of the room looks almost exactly the same as when it was inhabited by the previous owners save for a change in furniture and the framed photographs over the fireplace.

She’s about to comment on this when the other couple enters the living room.

Both she and her husband stand up and put on their bright smiles once again to greet the short blond woman standing next to the man called Ed.

“Hello, thank you for coming to welcome us,” she says as she shakes their hands – first the husband’s then Celeste's – and introduces herself as Madeline Martha Mackenzie.

Nothing eventful happens when she shakes the husband’s hand. It’s all polite and courteous so Celeste is surprised when she catches another smirk, albeit a faint one, right before the blonde lets go of her hand. It came and went so fast that she’s not entirely sure she saw it but there was indeed something, something that piqued her interest.

Did she just… was that… did she really smirk at me again or did I imagine the whole thing? What is she doing, exactly? Is she still sizing me up? Does she think that she’s better than me?

“Sparkles?”

She hears her husbands voice and turns her head to see him raising his eyebrows at her from his seat. That’s when she realizes that she’s been staring at Madeline for much longer than she should and quickly sits down.

Ed has set two beers on the coffee table and two soda pops.

“We ran out of ginger ale,” Madeline suddenly says, before Celeste can say or ask about her drink. “So I thought you’d prefer a soda pop instead.”

Celeste nods and thanks the host.

The four people start with small talk but soon, their conversation becomes dominated by sports talk from the two men.

Madeline and Celeste grow quiet as they listen and sip their drinks, both playing the roles of obedient wives.

“Thank you for the apple pie,” Madeline ends their silence.

“You’re welcome. My apple pie is famous for being the best in this neighborhood,” boasts Celeste.

Madeline smiles. “Really? Then I should thank you once again for letting us have a whole tin of it. I’ll be sure to enjoy every bite,” she says.

“What were you cooking?” Celeste asks.

“Oh nothing much. I’m not a very good cook, unfortunately, so I try to make due with whatever skills I have. He’s actually better than me in the kitchen,” she points at her husband who’s still deep in discussion with Celeste's husband over baseball.

“I see.”

“I welcome tips and recipes,” adds Madeline. “Especially from talented cooks like you.”

“I’ll gladly share my recipes.”

“Thank you. I’m looking forward to it.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Celeste then takes another sip from her soda, looking away for a moment. She can feel Madeline's eyes never leaving her so she turns her head again and their eyes meet.

Madeline still has that small smile on her face and the look in her eyes is surprisingly soft. It’s a huge contrast to the smirk Celeste saw earlier that night and when they first laid eyes on each other weeks ago.

Faintly, she hears her husband apologizing and excusing them so she looks at him and automatically nods along. They do have an appointment to keep so they should get going.

Their neighbors walk them to the door, exchange more pleasantries and Taeyeon promises to return the pie tin once they have finished the apple pie.

As she walks back to her house with her husband moments later, Celestefinds herself frowning, unsure of what to make of the blonde she just met.

What was that look? Why was it so different than those arrogant smirks she threw at me? That Madeline Mackenzie is a real puzzle. I should do more snooping from now on. She can be a criminal or a fraud for all I know so I must be on high alert until I can know more about her.

—-

“Pie?” offers Madeline as she grabs a knife to slice the pie.

“Sure. By the way, he’s a no go,” says Ed who then finishes his beer. “Too much baseball talk. Straight as a pole.”

“I thought you had the ability to bend even the straightest pole in the world,” remarks Madeline, chuckling while taking out two plates and small forks for the pie slices.

“I can but only if they’re worth it. That one isn’t interesting at all though so I’m not going to waste my time and effort on him no matter how good looking he is.” He pulls one of the plates closer. “Wow. This is good,” he says after his first bite.

“She claimed that she baked the best apple pie in this neighborhood. I guess she wasn’t lying.” Madeline also takes a bite from her slice and nods in satisfaction.

“She kept staring at you.”

“I know.” The blonde grins proudly.

“Maybe it’s because you were eyeballing her in front of her husband.”

“I did not do that.”

“You definitely did. Don’t think that I missed that smirk and that adoring-gentle-look trick. You’ve really set your eyes on her, haven’t you?”

“What smirk? What look?” asks Madeline innocently.

Ed rolls his eyes and takes another bite from his pie. “Just take it easy, okay? Not in front of the husband.”

“I know. It was a small mistake on my part. She’s such a fox that I couldn’t help myself. I promise that I’ll behave from now on. When her husband’s around, that is,” she says, winking at the young man before chuckling.

“And they say men are the lustful ones,” he mutters to himself as he leaves the kitchen with his beer and pie.

Madeline is still grinning when she cuts herself another tiny piece of pie with the fork and eats it.

I wonder… do you taste as good as your pie, Celeste Wright?

Her grin widens at the thought of what she’d do to find the answer to her question and suddenly, she can’t wait to return the pie tin to her neighbor.

She knows just the perfect time for it too: whenever Celeste's husband is not around.


	3. Chapter 3

Madeline has been lingering around her window all day, waiting for the return of the red Volvo 122S that’s usually parked inside the garage next door.

She has heard its engine a couple of hours ago and peeked out the window to see Tiffany reversing out of the garage to then leave the house. Her husband has left for work earlier that morning as per usual.

It’s only been a week since Madeline moved in so she’s not entirely sure of her neighbors’ daily routine.

Her wait finally comes to an end when the shiny red Volvo appears, passing her house to park neatly at the driveway next door. She quickly grabs the clean pie tin she’s prepared and walks out of her house calmly towards the red-haired woman who’s now taking bags of groceries out of her car.

“Grocery shopping, huh?” she says as she approaches Celeste, wearing a cute innocent smile on her face.

Celeste turns her head and raises her eyebrows at Madeline.

“I’ve been meaning to ask about the nearest, most recommended grocery store in the neighborhood.” Madeline stops in front of the surprised Celeste, notices the slight nervous twitch and tells herself to stay calm and play it cool. “We’re running out of food.”

“Where did you buy your grocery before?” asks Celeste once she has cleared her throat.

“Not sure. Ed bought them using the list I gave him and it was too overpriced.”

“He probably went to the Nippal’s store,” replies Celeste as she takes another paper bag out of the backseat of her car. “Don’t shop there. He only gives reasonable prices to people he knows or likes.”

“That’s strange,” says Madeline who then tucks the pie tin under her right arm to free both hands in order to help Celeste. “Here. Let me help.”

“It’s okay. I got it,” Celeste says as she tightly hugs the three paper bags in between her arms, barely able to see over them. “Go to Tom’s store. He has better quality produce and lower price although I admit that the Nippal's store has more variety.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Now I’ll just take one bag before you break something.” Without waiting for Celeste's response, Madeline grabs the middle bag that’s dangerously slipping down and safely holds it in her hands. She then flashes Celeste another smile. “Better, right?”

Celeste stares at Maddeline for a second before mumbling a quick thank you and turning around to go inside the house. She doesn’t forget to get her purse and nudge the car door close with her hip, causing Madeline to smirk and grin behind her.

Man, I can’t wait to get my hands on that hot piece of-…

“Aren’t you coming?”

Madeline looks up to see Celeste frowning at her. It’s obvious that she’s been caught staring at the woman’s butt and said woman is not happy about it.

“Do you sew your own dresses?” asks Madeline in a tone that’s still very calm. Even her expression hasn’t changed. She’s trying to appear as if she’s not staring at Celeste's butt but at the woman’s dress instead.

Raising one eyebrow, Celeste flatly replies. “No.”

“Ah alright. I love your dresses. If you sew them yourself then I’d like to have one made. Really love the cut.”

There’s a pause as Celeste seemingly try to make up her mind about Madeline’s words and their sincerity but at the end of it, all she can say is, “I can introduce you to the dress maker, if you want. She’s a friend of mine and she lives downtown.”

“That would be great. Thank you,” replies Madeline.

When Celeste resumes walking, Madeline makes sure that she matches her pace and walks next to her, no longer lingering behind.

“I actually just wanted to return your pie tin,” Madeline says as she waits while Celeste unlocks the door. “Sorry it took so long. Unpacking everything felt endless.” She then follows the lady of the house inside.

“No problem. Have you finished unpacking now?”

Madeline nods, places the bag of groceries next to the other two Celeste’s placed on the kitchen counter and sets the pie tin down as well. She takes a look around the house and nods to herself. “I love your house. It’s so neat and cozy too. I’m not much of a homemaker myself so I admire people who can do what you do well.”

“What exactly do I do well?” asks Celeste as she goes to the fridge to see what drink she can offer to Madeline.

“You’re a great cook, you take good care of yourself and your home…” She turns around, facing the surprised Celeste, and puts on her most sincere smile. “And you’re beautiful too. A perfect package. Your husband is one lucky man,” she gently says, her eyes not hiding their adoration even for a little bit.

Celeste blushes by reflex and has to quickly pull the fridge open to hide her warm face. “Thank you,” she says without looking at Madeline. “But it’s nothing special, really. I’m sure every woman in this neighborhood does the same or even better. Present company included.”

Madeline shakes her head and approaches Celeste. “I don’t know about other women but I definitely can’t do what you do. It’s tough, being a wife, isn’t it? We have to look great but at the same time, we have to do so much for our husbands and families. We have to clean the house, wash and mend their clothes, cook for them… basically do everything they never do for themselves so they can boast about what a catch we are,” she says, still with that charming smile on her face. “I’m glad Key helps me every now and then, especially with cooking. Wouldn’t know how to survive otherwise.” She chuckles, noticing the slight tensing of Celeste’s jaws as the woman’s face appears from behind the open fridge door. “It’s just not in my genes.”

Unknown to Celeste, Madeline has been listening to every gossip she and Ed could find about her and her husband. The man is a very ambitious lawyer who has a pride that’s bigger than his house, people say. He likes to compare himself to other people and the one thing he boasts most about besides his job is his beautiful wife. Rumor has it that he ‘drilled’ his wife into being the perfect homemaker that she is and that he only lets down his guard – and boasts less – in front of people he considers much below him, those who pose no threat to him. Now his wife has surpassed his perfectionism and self-comparison, becoming one of the most respected yet feared housewives in the neighborhood, and also one of the biggest gossipers.

Ed was not happy when he heard about this because during the short courtesy visit by his neighbor, the man didn’t boast at all. He concluded that the man must consider him below him, much less than him.

But Madeline couldn’t care less about that man. All she cares about is Celeste and hearing about the woman’s change and image makes her even more determined to get to know her neighbor better because she’s convinced that behind the ‘uptight perfectionist’ image is a wild woman whom she’d love to tame.

“He’s learned to live with my lack of skills, I think,” continues Madeline casually, “and it’s definitely more relaxing for the both of us. Less arguing too.”

Celeste takes out a bottle of wine without responding. “Wine?”

“That’s alright. I best be on my way and not trouble you anymore,” replies Madeline. “Thank you again for the pie. It was delicious. Easily the best apple pie I’ve ever had,” she says as she takes a step back, away from the kitchen. “Have a nice day, Celeste. Thank you for allowing me inside your beautiful home. I think I’ll go clean up my house now. Wouldn’t want to bring down the neighborhood, would we?” she says then laughs. “Bye then.”

Madeline turns around to leave but before she can reach the front door, she hears Celeste say, “If you want, I can teach you how to bake or cook.”

The blonde turns around. “Really?”

Celeste nods. “I said I’d gladly share my recipes, didn’t I? I mean it.”

“Thank you. We’ll set a date later then.”

“Sure. Just give me a call or a knock on the door,” Celeste says.

“I’ll do that.” Madeline then waves goodbye before she walks out of the house, leaving Celeste frowning to herself.

—-

The door closes softly behind the blond woman and Celeste exhales, her brows knitted into a frown.

Even though she now feels less threatened by Madeline, what her neighbor said hit home a bit too hard and suddenly, for the first time since she moved into that house, she finds her tidy and spotless home suffocating.

So instead of going into her usual daily cleaning routing, she grabs the keys to the red car her husband had given her only months ago – a bonus from the new company he now works at – and decides to head downtown for a quick round of shopping.

As she drives, she can’t help but replay the moments when she caught Madeline staring at her backside and what the blonde said about her. She didn’t know why she felt offended during the staring then shy and flattered when Madeline complimented her. It wasn’t the first or the best compliment she’s received, plus it came from a woman. It also wasn’t the first time other women stared at her although they usually did it with envy or admiration in their eyes, not with the look Madeline gave her earlier.

You’re interesting, Madeline Mackenzie. Mark my words, I will definitely find out more about you before this week ends.


	4. Chapter 4

Madeline stops her typing when the telephone rings and moves to answer the call. “Hello?”

“Hello. Is this Madeline Mackenzie’s residence?”

“Yes. This is her speaking.”

“Ah, hello, Madeline. It’s Celeste. Celeste Wright.”

Madeline instantly grins at the sound of the name.

“From next door,” adds Celeste.

“Hi.”

“Hi. Are you busy? Did I catch you at a bad time?”

“No, you didn’t,” Madeline says. “And I’ll never be too busy for such a nice neighbor,” she adds daringly, wondering how Celeste would react. She almost said ‘pretty’ instead of ‘nice’ but she knew it was too soon for such blatant flirting.

There’s an unmistaken second of silence as Celeste – who’s completely taken aback by the random comment – tries to figure out what to say in reply.

In the end, she decides to just ignore the comment and get straight to the point.

“We’re having our annual neighborhood barbecue party next weekend and it’s my turn to host it this year. Would you and your husband like to come? It’s a good chance for you to meet the other neighbors as well. You can even consider it a welcome event for you from us.”

“That sounds festive,” Madeline says. “What must I bring or do?”

“Oh you don’t have to do or bring anything. You’re our guest of honor, after all.”

“But that will make me feel bad. At least let me bring drinks? Beer or wine?”

“You don’t have to but I won’t stop you if you want to bring something.”

“Okay. Excuse me for asking this but will your delicious apple pies be at the party too?”

“Definitely! There will be a neighborhood riot if my apple pies are missing,” Celeste says proudly.

“Then I’ll be there for sure! Your apple pies are to die for and I wouldn’t miss the chance of getting a slice for anything!”

Celeste can’t help but break into a huge, proud smile. “Thank you. That’s very kind of you. So see you Sunday then? Just come over around noon. You can see the party from your house anyway.”

“Will do. Thank you for inviting us.”

“My pleasure.”

—-

Celeste spends the whole week leading up to the annual barbecue going about her chores with extra speed so she can have more time to chat with her neighbors and go around the shops, talking to as many people as she can to find out whether they’ve met Madeline. She’d try to fish as much information as she could from them and spend the rest of her time watching over the house next door, spying on Madeline.

The blonde rarely leaves the house though so Celeste would be very bored, most of the time, but she persists. The one thing she prides herself of, other than her pie or her clean home, is her persistence.

Thus she sits or stands by her window, day after day, waiting for the moment when she’d get a glimpse of the golden hair moving around in the kitchen next door or walking out the door.

When the day of the barbecue finally comes, she and her group of friends start getting ready early in the morning, laying out the food, wearing their best Sunday clothes and making sure their husbands look their best.

They try to act normal but they’d steal glances at the driveway and the house next door every now and then, waiting anxiously.

Her friends keep asking her where the new neighbor is, adding to her already mounting impatience.

She almost gives up hope when the sound of a roaring engine catches her attention. Every head turns towards the street, some even go as far as to walk out of the backyard to take a look.

A shiny arctic blue Chevrolet Corvette comes speeding down the street, making a swift turn, straight into the driveway next door, parked perfectly right then and there.

Their shock doubles when they see a woman stepping out of the driver’s side of the convertible while fixing her long golden tresses.

No one pays attention to the man who rushes towards the trunk of the car to take out a wooden crate of beer. Their eyes are all glued to the woman who nonchalantly opens her compact and starts reapplying her make-up as if she just steps out of her neat kitchen instead of a speeding car.

“She drives like… that?” whispers Renata Klein, the women behind Celeste.

“How strange,” replies Jackie.

“Unbecoming,” hisses Gabrielle who then clucks her tongue in disapproval.

“Improper,” adds Harper Stimson. “Her husband should learn to keep his wife in check. Teach her proper manners.”

Celeste nods, agreeing with every comment. Deep down though, there’s a tiny sense of admiration to see a woman be able to handle a car like that. And it’s not just any convertible. It’s a roadster, a two-seated car she recognizes from what her husband said. He told her that it was a very good car with a new system or something – she wasn’t paying attention to what he said because cars are just not her thing. Nevertheless, it adds another piece to the complicated puzzle that is Madeline that she’s assembling in her head.

When the couple seems ready to go, they turn towards their neighbor’s house and simultaneously raise their eyebrows when they see the crowd staring at them – some are still holding beer bottles or plates of food in their hands.

After a split-second hesitation, Madeline slips her hand under Ed’s arm, placing it elegantly on the man’s forearm and both start walking towards the group of people with polite yet anxious smiles on their faces.

Celeste steps out to greet Madeline and Ed with a smile.

“Sorry we’re so late,” Ed apologizes. “It’s my fault. I forgot that I was assigned the task to get the beers so we had to rush out and get them. But rest assured, it would be worth the wait. It’s a special brew.”

“I hope we haven’t missed much,” adds Maddie.

“Oh no worries. The girls just started on dessert but the men are still grilling so plenty of food left. You must be hungry,” replies Celeste politely. “Come on in and eat.”

Madeline withdraws her hand from Ed's arm and walks ahead of him, alongside Celeste as the woman starts introducing her to the people there.

The men approaches Ed and helps him with the beer before they start talking about the usual men stuff: cars, sports etcetera.

The women crowd around Madeline, observing her from top to toe while asking her endless questions about herself and her husband, all the while wearing fake smiles on their faces.

She answers every question calmly and diplomatically even though she knows exactly what these women are really after behind their seemingly friendly exterior. At the same time, she inconspicuously keeps an eye on Celeste, always aware of where the woman is at all times. She’s done this many times before and therefore knows how to carry herself well.

Being the host, Celeste is busy keeping everyone happy and entertained. She moves from group to group, chatting them up, laughing and distributing food.

Madeline has finally succeeded in excusing herself to grab a drink when she sees Celeste approaching with a plate of food in her hands. “I hope you haven’t run out of your amazing apple pie,” Madeline remarks when Celeste comes near.

“Don’t worry. I baked an extra tin today, just for you and Ed,” replies Celeste. “Here. You haven’t eaten anything.”

Madeline takes the plate Celeste offers her and smiles. “Thank you. You’re so caring,” she says, keeping her hand touching Celeste a bit longer than it should. “Your husband is seriously one very lucky guy.” She gestures with her head towards the group of loud men as her eyes soften. “To have such a beautiful, kind and capable woman by his side… I can’t help but envy his luck,” she adds, brushing her fingers ever so lightly against the back of Celeste's hand as she gently pulls the plate from the latter’s hold.

Then she turns around and sits down at an empty table to start eating, pretending not to see Celeste’s stunned reaction and the slight blush on her cheeks.

It takes Celeste a moment to snap out of it. She inhales after she realizes that she has unconsciously held her breath when Madeline’s soft finger pads grazed her skin, shakes her head and quickly puts on her usual bright – though not really sincere – smile and rejoins her group of friends.

—-

“I saw what you did,” Ed says as soon as he’s closed the door behind him.

“What did I do?” asks Madeline nonchalantly while taking off her shoes. She sighs in relief when her bare feet touch the ground and goes to the kitchen to put away the pie slices Celeste gave them.

Ed follows the woman. “You flirted with her endlessly.”

“I did not.”

“You did. I saw the smiles and the touches. You were like a bee circling a flower all day. How many compliments did you throw at her?”

“I lost count,” replies Madeline with a cheeky grin before she bursts out laughing. “Alright. I did do all that. But come on, did you see how fine she is? I love that red ribbon she wore in her hair. What I would do to pull it loose,” she gestures with her fingers as if pinching the non-existent fabric, “then tear her dress right off.” She laughs again – louder, this time.

Ed rolls his eyes. “You never learn, do you? Her husband was eyeing you, you know.”

“I know. I know very well.” Madeline walks past Ed to head on upstairs and take a shower.

“Then be careful,” says the man, eyes still on his friend.

Maddie turns around, sees the sincerely worried look and smiles at him. “I will. Don’t worry. I’m sorry for being too obvious today but I’m sure you’re the only one who noticed.”

“Me and her husband.”

“Nah. He won’t suspect a thing. The only reason he kept eyeing me is because of the car. I am expecting him to come by any day and chastise me about it, treating me like I’m some typical dumb blonde of a housewife who knows nothing about cars.”

“He did kinda reprimand me about getting that car and letting you drive it. When I told him that it was your car, his eyes nearly fell out of their sockets,” replies Ed with a grin.

“See? Let him be. I know how to handle pompous jerks like that. Though my ‘handling’ knowledge would be best applied to his wife.” Madeline winks then goes on her way while laughing to herself.

Ed shakes his head and goes to the living room to listen to the afternoon radio show.


	5. Chapter 5

Madeline walks out of her house with a clean plate in her hands. It’s the plate Celeste lent her yesterday, to bring home the pie slices from the barbecue.

Just when she reaches her neighbor’s driveway, the door opens to reveal Celeste’s husband coming out of the house, ready to go to work. She greets him politely when their eyes meet, “Good morning.”

“Morning. What brings you here?”

“I’m returning the plate your wife kindly let me borrow yesterday,” replies Madeline.

“I see. Go on inside then.” He’s about to walk past the blonde when he suddenly remembers something and stops in his tracks. “By the way, that car you were driving yesterday…”

Madeline looks at him calmly. “Yes?”

“Ed told me that it’s yours.”

“That’s right. Bought it with my own money just weeks before we moved here.”

“Why would you need your own car?” he asks.

“Why not?” replies Madeline nonchalantly.

“Is it because it’s blue and you happen to like blue?” He grins at her condescendingly because that’s the reason he hears from his female customers all the time.

“I admit, I do like the color but that’s not really why I chose it,” answers Madeline, still in her calm, not-offended tone. “It’s the fuel injection, the power assist and the Borg-Warner 4-speed manual transmission option they finally offered.”

His grin disappears, replaced with a surprised expression that’s followed by a frown. “Do you even know what fuel injection is?”

“In general or the one used in my car?”

His eyes widen even more due to the unexpected reply. “Both.”

“Well, generally speaking, it is a system for admitting fuel into an internal combustion engine. I will not start on the history of modern fuel injection or its use on diesel engine since we’re talking about cars or gasoline-fueled engines so I’ll just skip to the one in my car, and why it spurred me to buy it. I love it because it’s not just a pulse injection but a constant flow system, metering fuel to all cylinders simultaneously from a central ‘spider’ of injection lines. It’s not like the diesel style nozzle metering system Mercedes uses in their racing cars. In my car, the fuel meter adjusts the amount of flow according to engine speed and load, and includes a fuel reservoir, which is similar to a carburetor’s float chamber. It has its own high-pressure fuel pump driven by a cable from the distributor to the fuel meter that supplies the necessary pressure for injection. The injectors are located in the intake manifold, very near the intake valve. It’s really cool. You want to take a look? I went for the Ramjet fuel injection option. It cost me a pretty penny but I love the extra brake-horse power it produces,” explains Madeline smoothly, without the slightest bit of hesitation. “Ed wouldn’t let me get the 579E racing version,” she says, sighing. “Too bad. I really wanted to have the heavy duty racing suspension on it though I probably can’t race it anywhere.”

She finishes with a smile as she watches his expression – his mouth open and his eyes bulging.

Gotcha. I ain’t no dumb blond, Mister.

“Anyway, as much as I like chatting about cars, I best return this to your wife so I can get started on my chores,” she says. “Have a good day, Perry.”

She side steps him and walks towards the porch, not sparing him another glance.

As her finger touches the doorbell, she can hear the man’s car reversing then driving away with an extra loud roar – as if he’s stepping on the gas pedal angrily.

She almost laughs but she hears Celeste’s footsteps from inside the house so she keeps herself composed and settles with a smile.

“Good morning,” she greets Celeste who appears a second later. “I’m here to return your plate. Thank you very much for lending it to me yesterday.”

“Hello. You’re welcome.” Celeste takes the plate from Madeline.

“I also wanted to ask about that cooking lesson you mentioned,” continues Madeline. “Are you still willing to teach me?”

“Of course. When would you like to start?”

“Whenever you’re available.”

“I’m free every day except on Thursdays because we sometimes play bridge at the Klein’s house.”

“Then how ‘bout we start today? It would be fun to surprise Ed with something different and delicious for once,” says Madeline with a chuckle.

“Today?” Celeste pauses to think, listing her to-dos for the day. “Sure. Why not? But what do you want to make?”

“Anything you’ve planned to make for dinner. I’ll get the ingredients and just copy you, if that’s okay.”

“That sounds good. I’m thinking of making stuffed roast chicken for dinner tonight. With a side of mash potatoes and boiled vegetables.”

“Ooh! Sounds mouth watering already!” exclaims Madeline. “Would you have extra space in your oven for another chicken?”

Celeste nods, eyes beaming with pride. “We have a large oven because of my famous apple pie so yes.”

“Great. If you don’t mind, kindly list the ingredients and I will check my refrigerator or go down to the grocery store to get them.”

“I have my ingredients. You just need yours.” Celeste goes inside the house and gestures for Madeline to follow her. “I’ll list them down for you. Do you want me to go to the store with you?”

“That’s alright. I don’t want to trouble you more than I already have.”

“It’s no trouble. In fact, it might be easier and better because you can take notes about choosing fresh ingredients as well. Or where to get cheaper produce.”

“That would be wonderful,” says Madeline with a smile.

“Alright then.” Celeste checks the clock on her wall. “We have about an hour before tom's store is open for business. He opens late on Mondays.”

“Then I’ll see you in an hour. We can take my car. I’ll drive.”

Celeste nods. “See you in an hour then.”

Madeline quickly takes her leave and tries hard not to grin or laugh happily as she walks back to her house.

—-

Madeline exhales and leans back against the kitchen counter after she has closed the oven door. “Wow that chicken is going to last me at least 3 days,” she says.

“I told you to get a smaller one,” remarks Celeste who’s already starting to prep the potatoes and vegetables.

“It’s okay. Tom is so nice, I can’t resist his offer for that bird.” Madeline turns her head when she hears the sound of a knife hitting the chopping board. “You should rest for a bit. We have two hours until those birds are cooked, right?”

“Yes but the vegetables and potatoes must be boiled and mashed soon.”

“How soon?”

“Well, after the birds are cooked so they won’t get cold.”

“Then you can go rest until then.” Madeline reaches out, placing her hand over Celeste’s, right on the handle of the knife, surprising the woman. “You practically prepared two stuffed chicken just now because I was slow and incapable so rest. I’ll prepare the vegetables. I might be terrible at cleaning chicken but I can chop veggies like no other and don’t get me started on my potato peeling skills,” she says with a grin.

Celeste looks at Maddie’s hand, then at the woman, and back at the hand again. It feels strange but in a good way, surprisingly. No one ever offered her a hand in the kitchen and she kinda likes the feeling of Madeline's soft hands on her skin now that she’s felt it for the second time.

“Or if you prefer doing something then you can finish your chores. I’ll handle things here.” Madeline gently pries Celeste’s hand off of the knife handle. “Go. Rest. And don’t step foot into this kitchen until you really have to or I will mince your veggies instead.” She pretends to frown at her while pointing to the living room with her free hand, ordering her to leave.

“It’s my kitchen, you know,” replies Celeste with an amused smile.

“But I’m holding the knife,” Madeline says as she smirks and waves the sharp utensil in her hand. “And the potato peeler too,” she grabs the smaller utensil then breaks into a comical evil villain laugh, causing Celeste to laugh.

“You’re crazy,” Celeste says as she steps away from the cutting board. “Alright. I still need to do the laundry anyway. Just don’t destroy my kitchen, please.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Right before Celeste turns to leave, she feels a hand on her arm and involuntarily jerks a bit in surprise. She stops and turns her head just in time to see Madelines’s hand reaching out towards the side of her face.

“You have a piece of potato peel on your hair,” Madeline says as she plucks said piece of potato and smiles at the woman.

Celeste holds her breath and finds herself unable to look away from Madeline’s gentle eyes. There is something there that draws her in, just like that day when they first locked eyes through the window. Only this time, there’s only a couple of inches separating them and the pull is so much stronger, causing her mind to go blank instantly.

“A little mess looks good on you though,” adds Madeline, her voice softening. “There is no need to look perfect all the time because you’re already that. Perfect. Just by being you.”

Celeste swallows and takes a clumsy step backwards. “T-thanks. I… I gotta… laundry,” she stutters cutely, pointing to the living room before she rushes towards the basement, to the laundry room, leaving Madeline silently chuckling to herself.

The woman of the house has to stop and lean against the laundry machine with one hand on her rapidly beating heart and her other hand on her warm cheek.

W-what… what just happened? What is this?


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this fic is set in the 50s btw

Celeste stands to the side, watching Madeline wash every dirty bowl they’ve used in the kitchen. At first, she objected to having Madeline touch anything because her perfectionism dictates that no one can wash those dirty dishes as clean as she can. Madeline compromised by splitting the workload. She let Celeste wash the smaller items like the utensils and knives and insisted that she’d wash the pans, bowls, plates and cutting board.

The redhead didn’t want to move from the sink after she was done but Madeline playfully nudged her aside and assured her that she’d only put the washed dishes on the drying rack after they have passed Celeste's inspection.

And the blonde kept her word. She told Celeste to check everything and to put those that didn’t pass her inspection back in the sink for her to redo.

After a few minutes, Celeste started to feel more relaxed and, out of respect to Madeline's effort, she decided to stop her ‘inspection’ and let Madeline do her thing. If there’s anything she needs to redo, she’d do it after Madeline has left.

“Done!” exclaims Maddie as she turns off the tap and takes the hand towel Celeste offers her.

“Thanks for the help.”

“Don’t mention it. It’s the least I could do after your hospitality and the cooking lesson. I’m sorry I’m such a bad student,” apologizes Madeline while hanging the towel in its place neatly.

“You did okay,” Celeste says. “I hope Ed likes it.”

“You and me both,” replies Madeline. “I should get going. Wouldn’t want to trouble you more than I have.” She moves to take the roast chicken, only to realize a second later that her hands are full and she can’t carry the mash potatoes and vegetables at the same time.

Celeste smiles when she sees Madeline's confused expression and picks up the plate of vegetables and the bowl of mash potatoes. “Lead the way,” she says.

“What are you doing?”

“Helping. Now move before everything gets cold.”

Madeline smiles gratefully at Celeste and starts to walk.

They go to her house, place everything in the kitchen and Celeste excuses herself to get ready for her husband to come home.

“Thanks again,” Madeline says as she walks Celeste to the door.

“You’re welcome.”

“I hope this experience doesn’t traumatize you.”

Celeste stops at the doorway and turns towards Maddie, her lips pulled into an unexpectedly sincere smile. “It’s been fun, actually. It’s nice to have someone accompany me during the day and while I cook.”

“You’re going to redo all the dishes I washed, aren’t you?”

Celeste laughs. “Nah. I think you did a great job. Thank you for understanding.”

“Thank you for letting me help even though I lack so much.” Madeline then takes a step forward. “I mean what I said though. You’re already perfect so it’s okay to relax every once in a while.” She reaches out and lightly brushes Celeste's cheek with her thumb. “You look so much more beautiful when you smile or laugh, not serious or tense. So smile more often, okay, Celeste?”

Celeste freezes for a moment, shivering when Maddie's skin meets hers.

“R-right. Ye-yes. Thank y-you,” she stutters and steps away, nearly stumbling out into Madeline's porch. “Goodbye then.”

“Bye,” replies Mad calmly with a smile and a wave of her hand. She watches Celeste half running towards her house, rushing inside and slamming the door behind her. She laughs and goes inside her own house while whistling to herself. “Well now, I think I’ve caught her attention for sure.”

—-

“Sparkles?”

“…”

“Celeste?”

“H-huh?” Celeste looks up in surprise only to see her husband staring at her. “What?”

“Are you okay? You’re so quiet tonight.”

“I’m fine. Just tired,” she lies and quickly puts a piece of meat inside her mouth so she doesn’t have to answer him.

He raises his eyebrows but says nothing more, turning his attention to the newspaper in his hands.

The night ends uneventfully like most of her nights but unlike her quiet home, Celeste's mind is busy replaying everything that has happened today. How attentive Maddie was, how the blonde made her laugh every now and then with random stories about her friends or Ed and her funny remarks, how she grabbed her arm and plucked that potato peel from her hair and lastly, the one thing she can’t seem to shake off, is the feeling of Madeline's warm and soft fingers against her face and the tenderness of her touch.

The skin on her cheek tingles every time that memory crosses her mind and when she lies down next to him that night and feels his rough, cold hand on her back, she can’t help but wish that it were as warm and gentle as Madeline's hand.

—-

Ed drinks his water and looks at the woman sitting next to him on the couch. “So how many of this so-called cooking lesson are you going to take?”

“Why? You like the result so much?”

“I admit, it’s a very big improvement, taste-wise, but I’m more curious to what your plan is.”

“You know my plans.”

“Yes but are you going to use your old tricks on her?”

“I don’t know. They’re working so far.”

He shakes his head and places his glass on the coffee table. “Careful. You’ve shattered many hearts. Wouldn’t want karma to catch up with you, would you?”

“There is no such thing.”

“Karma? Oh you bet there is.”

“Then why are you still so happy? You’ve broken way more hearts than I ever did!”

“Hey, they broke my heart.”

Madeline scoffs. “Yeah right.”

“It’s different with men!” argues Ed.

“Stop right there. Let’s not have this same old discussion again, shall we? I’m too tired to argue.”

“But it’s true!”

“…”

“Fine. Ignore me but I will be proven right. Be careful, Madeline. I don’t like her husband. There’s something scarily crazy about that guy.”

“Besides his inflated ego, you mean?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll be fine. Now go finish your dinner so I can put the rest in the refrigerator for tomorrow.”

—-

Weeks have passed since that first cooking lesson and Mad and Celeste have spent more and more time together not only during the other cooking lessons that followed but also whenever they ‘happened to meet’.

Madeline would be the one who created those ‘coincidences’ by walking out of her house when Celeste's about to go grocery shopping or whenever the woman happened to be outside. She’d greet her, they’d talk and Celeste would often invite her in to accompany her.

By now, Celeste has half forgotten about her true intentions of getting to know everything about Madeline and proving that she’s better than her. She still gossips about her behind her back to justify the amount of time she spends with her but she forgets everything about her group of judgmental housewives friends or her boring-though-seemingly-perfect life with her husband whenever she’s with Madeline.

The blonde has an unexplainable way of making her feel comfortable in her skin. There is no judgment, no expectations and Madeline doesn’t hang out with the other housewives so Celeste knows that her neighbor isn’t gossiping about her behind her back.

Slowly but surely, Celeste begins to let down her guard and starts to really enjoy the time she spends with her newfound friend.

Maddie never stops her physical attentiveness though. She’d lightly brush Celeste’s arm or squeezes her hand briefly and even tucks her long red tresses behind her ear to tidy her hair when there’s a sudden gust of wind.

Although these gestures confused Celeste at first, she has grown to like them and even look forward to be the receiving end of them. When Madeline seemed distracted one day, because she said she just got a letter from home, and didn’t touch her at all, she was the one who reached out for her hand and warmly squeezed it to cheer her up a bit.

She doesn’t understand why Madeline's touches never fail to make her blush or shiver or why she starts to crave them. In her mind, she justifies it as companionship and platonic friendship although a tiny nagging voice in the back of her mind keeps telling her that that’s not just it.

One morning, she comes out of her house to go grocery shopping and is expecting Madeline to appear and come with her but the house next door is quiet. No one seems to be home so Celeste gets inside her car and drives to the store alone, feeling disappointed.

After she has finished shopping, she drives home and is halfway there when her car starts making weird noises.

The red car finally stalls just when she’s about to turn into the street she lives in.

She tries to restart the car again and again and when it won’t work, she panics, jumping out of the vehicle without knowing what to do.

Celeste wants to scream for help but her pride won’t allow her to do so. The last thing she wants is to become the laughing stock of the neighborhood, especially since she’s bragged about the brand new car her husband got her just months ago.

So in the end, she decides to walk the short distance home to call her husband’s office and tell him what happened.

She takes the bags of groceries from the backseat and starts walking.

To arrive home she has to pass Madeline's house and that’s when she notices the open garage door and Madeline's car inside.

Her curiosity wins over her panic and she walks up Madeline's driveway, eager to take a peek.

“Um… Madeline? Are you here?” she asks hesitantly from right outside the garage.

A head of blond hair tied up with a blue bandana pops out from under the hood. “Celeste?”

“Maddie? Is that you?”

Madeline steps out into view and Celeste's eyes widen with shock.

Women have started wearing pants these days and Celeste has seen posters or ads with women mechanics but never in her life has she met a real life woman wearing mechanic overalls, especially not in this neighborhood. She used to think that such manly look for women is unbecoming. Plus, it’s a dirty job that’s unfit for a lady so why can’t she take her eyes off of Madeline despite the oil smudges on the latter’s face and hair? And that loose navy blue overalls with a few buttons popped open looks unbelievably good on Madeline that instead of looking at the blonde’s eyes, she finds herself shifting her gaze lower… and lower…

“Are you okay?” Madeline asks while wiping her hands on a dirty rag, interrupting Celeste's thoughts.

“Y-ye-yes!” Celeste clears her throat and looks up only to see the intense gaze and the smirk she recognizes well. “What are you doing?” she asks nonchalantly, ignoring her warm cheeks.

“Tuning up my car. You went grocery shopping?”

“Yeah.”

“You walked to the shop?”

“Not really. My car broke down just around the corner so I had to walk the rest of the way.”

“Oh? What happened?”

“Not sure. It made noises, died and just wouldn’t start.”

“Hm… Where is it? I’ll go take a look.”

“It’s down the street but are you sure?”

“Yeah. I’m in this thing already anyway.” Madeline gestures at her dirty overalls and smiles. “Give me the keys and I’ll check it out. You go put your groceries inside and meet me there.” She opens her hand, asking for the keys.

Celeste balances the grocery bags to be able to give Madeline the keys. “I’ll be right with you.”

“Take your time.”

Madeline takes her red toolbox and calmly strolls out of her garage to where Celeste's car is parked while the car owner rushes towards her house to dispose of her groceries.

When Celeste arrives at the scene moments later, the hood of her car is propped open and Madeline's small body is bent over the machine as she carefully checks the hot engine.

She watches half in awe and half in pessimism when, many minutes later, Madeline tells her to wait there because she needs to go to her house to get something.

When Madeline's finished, she wipes her sweaty forehead and tells her to start the engine.

Celeste does as she’s told and is expecting to get no result when the engine starts to purr as if it never broke down in the first place.

“Oh my goodness! What did you do?”

“You got lucky, Missy,” Madeline says. “A guy I know owns the same brand of car you have and he used to come over and work on his car together with me. I still have some of the parts he left and luckily, one of them fit your car. I thought your car was new?”

“It is. Perry’s boss gave it to him when he got the job.”

“Then you should tell him to speak to his boss. A new car shouldn’t break down like this.” Madeline shows Celeste the thing she’s holding in her hand. “This is your car’s spark plug. It’s supposed to be replaced after a while but not this soon. It’s broken so your engine couldn’t run properly. Tell your husband to get it replaced and get your car checked by a mechanic.” She places the object in Celeste's palm, closes the hood of the red car and tidies up her toolbox. “I should get back to my own car,” she says with a smile before giving Celeste a small wave of her hand.

Celeste just stares at Madeline in disbelief. She hasn’t even had the chance to say thank you when the woman walks away.

There are so many surprising sides to this Madeline Mackenzie and the more she knows about her, the more curious she gets – like a moth drawn to flame.


	7. Chapter 7

Madeline sips her soda and looks at the clock. It’s almost noon which means that her favorite housewife is either halfway through her chores or almost done with them, and that her phone will be ringing soon.

Ever since she helped Celeste with her car, the woman has been making more effort in approaching her or talking to her. She no longer has to create ‘coincidences’ because Celeste would call her and ask her to go with her to the store directly. The woman has even set up a teaching plan to make sure that Madeline keeps learning and improving her cooking skills.

Madeline has had four more cooking lessons under her belt so far and the two women have grown much closer, talking and interacting like two old friends.

As planned, she has stealthily increased the amount of warm gestures and physical touches every time they meet. The big milestone is the hug they shared just a few days ago after a sad Celeste told her about the sad news she heard from her parents. The dog that she had raised up until she had to leave her parents’ home to marry her husband passed away that morning. She was embarrassed to be crying, at first, so she kept looking down or away, avoiding Madeline’s eyes. But when Madeline opened her arms and hugged her warmly, she suddenly let it all out, her tears wetting the blonde’s shoulder.

Madeline rubbed Celeste’s back soothingly and whispered calming, comforting words. She said she understood because she, too, lost a pet many years ago and had cried all day about it.

When Celeste was done crying, she shyly apologized and tried to fix her messy hair and make-up. This Madeline found so adorable that she could barely stop herself from kissing Celeste’s cheek. But, luckily, her tremendous self-control didn’t fail her.

She places her glass on the kitchen counter when the phone rings and calmly lifts the receiver. “Hello?”

“Hi!” greets Celeste cheerfully. Their constant phone conversations have erased the need for them to introduce themselves. They know each other’s voice well enough by now.

“Hi.”

“Busy?”

“Not really. You? Done with everything?”

“Yeah. Wanna come over and have lunch with me? I made sandwiches.”

“How can I refuse such a kind offer from such a great cook?” asks Madeline, grinning when she hears a faint chuckle from the other side of the line. “I’ll be there in a jiffy.”

“Alright. Just come on inside. I left the door open.”

“Okay.” Maddie hangs up and checks herself in the mirror before she leaves her house, whistling happily all the way next door.

She lets herself in and finds Celeste setting two plates of sandwiches on the dining table along with two bottles of soda pop she recognizes to be her favorite.

“You got my favorite pop!” she exclaims.

Celeste looks up and smiles. “Consider it a reward for your constant cooking improvement.”

“Thank you.”

“Have a seat and let’s eat!”

Madeline insists on washing the dishes after lunch and Celeste lets her.

Their conversations keep flowing with Celeste never leaving Madeline’s side.

“I wanna show you something,” Celeste says after Maddie’s finished drying her hands. She grabs Madeline’s hand, surprising the latter, and pulls her towards the living room.

She tells Madeline to sit on the couch while she rushes upstairs to get something.

Madeline doesn’t know what to expect so she just sits there calmly, waiting for the very excited Celeste to return.

A minute later, Celeste comes back with one hand behind her back and a huge smile on her face. She sits down next to Madeline, faces her then tells her to show her her hand.

Madeline does as she’s told, gesturing her hand forward with her palm facing up, and raises her eyebrows when Celeste places a small box on it. “What is this?” she asks.

“Take a look.”

“A tin car!” Madeline sees the picture and letters printed on the box and her eyes instantly light up. “Can I open it?”

“Of course. It’s yours.”

Madeline looks at Celeste in surprise. “It’s mine?”

“Yes. I got it for you. A friend is in the army and he’s stationed in Japan. They make a lot of tin cars over there so I asked him whether he could find one modeled after your car. Too bad it’s not the same color though. He said he couldn’t find any blue corvettes,” explains Celeste. “It’s also a token of my gratitude for helping me with my car.”

Maddie doesn’t know how to respond. She’s touched and very happy so after her trembling hands have managed to open the box carefully to take out the tin car, all she can do is gawk at it while gingerly holding it as if it’s made of gold.

“Do you like it?”

She hears Celeste’s hesitant voice and looks up to see the woman watching her anxiously, waiting for her reaction.

“Like it? I love it!” she says in all sincerity. “This is the best gift anyone has ever given me!”

“It’s just a tin car, Madeline” replies Celeste while trying to hide her happy smile.

Madeline shakes her head. “It means so much more than that,” she says. “Thank you. Sincerely, from the bottom of my heart.”

“It’s nothing, really. I just thought since you like cars-…”

Celeste doesn’t get the chance to finish her sentence thanks to the kiss that lands on her cheek. She freezes, turning red in the face as her eyes widen with shock. Her skin tingles and there are goose bumps on her arms, especially when she realizes that Madeline’s lips still linger close to her cheek, the blonde’s warm breath hitting the side of her face.

Madeline can’t stop herself this time. Not when Celeste has put so much effort into her small surprise present.

“Thank you. I’ll take very good care of it,” she whispers, her nose brushing against the red hair as she closes her eyes for a second and silently inhales, letting the smell of Celeste’s hair seep into her mind so it can stay there for a very long time.

Then she moves back and their eyes meet.

Celeste doesn’t know what to do or say. Her mind isn’t sure what to make of what just happened and her heart is beating out of her chest so all she does is look blankly at Madeline.

“I’m sorry,” apologizes Madeline, secretly hoping that what she did wouldn’t push Celeste away. “I should… I think I better go. Thanks, again. For the gift and lunch.” Her hold around the tiny car tightens as she excuses herself and leaves the house.

It takes a moment until Celeste blinks, slowly getting her thoughts back in order. She touches her cheek, the skin still tingling, and looks at the window, towards the house next door.

Madeline…

—-

Maddie sighs and pokes her TV dinner with her fork unenthusiastically.

“She hasn’t called?” asks Ed who has noticed the unusually gloomy behavior.

Madeline shakes her head.

It’s been days since that kiss-on-the-cheek incident and she hasn’t seen Celeste around or heard from her. Either her neighbor has gone into hiding or she has found ways to avoid her like a plague.

“It’s not like you to be this mellow over a chick,” continues Ed. “Don’t tell me you have feelings for her? Like real feelings?”

“I don’t. I’m just worried that all my effort is in vain. Haven’t exactly enjoyed the fruit of my labor, have I?”

“Then you shouldn’t have made such a bold move so soon.”

“I couldn’t help it! She was so adorable!”

Ed calmly sips his beer and says, “Then call her. If she hates you, move on. If she doesn’t hate you, go find a way to enjoy whatever fruit your labor has produced. At least you get to kiss her cheek and keep that tin car. Either way, stop brooding. It’s so weird to see you like this.”

Madeline puts her fork down and exhales. “You’re right. This isn’t like me. I’m a woman of action!” She stands up and goes to the phone. “I’ll give her a call right now.”

She dials Celeste’s number and waits.

“Hello?” comes Celeste’s familiar voice a moment later.

“Hello. Celeste? It’s Madeline.”

“Oh hi. How can I help you?”

Madeline raises her eyebrows at the emotionless and formal tone. It’s so different from the cheerful voice she’s used to hearing over the phone. “Um… I’m just wondering whether you have some free time tomorrow.”

“That depends. Why did you ask?”

“Well…” Madeline quickly racks her brain to come up with a solid excuse. “Ed’s birthday is coming up and I want to do something special. Since he’s been complimenting my improving cooking skills, I wonder whether it’s possible to go to the next level and have you teach me to bake your amazing apple pie,” she lies.

The man who overheard the entire thing from where he’s sitting can only shake his head. It’s not the first time he’s been utilized as Madeline’s excuse to get women so it came as no surprise. Besides, he has returned the favor many times, using Madeline to get his share of men.

“Oh.” Celeste pauses for a second to think. “I suppose we can give it a try.”

“Really?”

“Yes. When is his birthday?”

“Saturday.”

“Then we better start tomorrow. It might take you a few tries to get it right.”

“I’m not aiming for perfection because I know it’s impossible to copy your heavenly apple pie,” compliments Madeline, “I’m already happy if my pie is half as good as yours.”

“Thank you for the compliment. Come over tomorrow morning so we can get the ingredients.”

“Will do that. Thank you, Celeste.”

“You’re welcome. Have a good night.”

“You too. Bye.”

“Goodbye.” Madeline hangs up and grins. “Great advice, my friend,” she tells Ed as she pats his shoulder on her way back to her seat.

“What a liar, this Madeline Mackenzie.”

“Takes one to know one,” retorts Madeline with a smirk as she eats her dinner with gusto, excited for tomorrow.

“Don’t get your hopes up. She’s probably just being nice because she thought you were doing it for me,” he says after seeing his friend’s happy reaction.

“I know. Don’t worry about me. You should worry about yourself. How far did you get with the laundry guy?” Madeline asks, steering the conversation away from herself.

—-

“Oomph.” Madeline places the two heavy bags of apples on the kitchen counter and sighs. “We bought too many apples, didn’t we?” she asks the woman who’s come to stand next to her, neatly setting the other grocery bags on the counter as well.

“No we didn’t. You need to practice, remember? You’ll use up all these apples before Saturday comes along,” replies Celeste.

“And who will be eating all those failed apple pies I bake?”

“You, yourself and… you,” teases Celeste while pointing her finger at Madeline, causing the blonde to grin.

Their meeting earlier that day started out a bit awkward but they soon found their old rhythm back, both choosing to forget what had happened days ago at Celeste’s house.

“Now start washing and cutting them. We need about 5 apples per pie so cut 10 of them,” orders Celeste.

“Yes, Ma’am. Aren’t you going to change first? That dress is new, right?” asks Madeline as she goes to the sink to wash her hands.

When she’s finished, she turns around to see Celeste holding a pink apron in one hand and a yellow one in the other.

“I’m surprised you noticed but don’t worry, this will protect my dress,” Celeste says. She hands the yellow apron to Madeline who takes it, puts the strap over her head and waits for the right moment when Celeste's tying her own apron so that she can swoop in, taking over the task to tie the string behind the woman’s back.

Celeste’s surprised when Madeline takes over but lets her, swiping her long red hair to the side so Madeline can finish the task more easily.

As Celeste gathers her hair to one side, Madeline can barely stop herself from leaning forward and kissing the smooth skin being exposed so gloriously right before her eyes. But she doesn’t want to have Celeste avoid her again so she quickly finishes her task and takes a big step back to give herself some space. She then proceeds to cut the apples while Celeste takes out the rest of the ingredients, lining them up neatly on the counter as she waits for Madeline.

Baking isn’t easy, as Madeline has expected, so she makes a few mistakes every now and then, causing Celeste to tease her and laugh at her.

“I don’t think your dough will be digestible,” teases Celeste while poking at the soft pile of dough Madeline’s been rolling diligently.

“Hey! Don’t poke at my dough! You’ll make holes in my pie!”

“Your pie will have holes regardless of what I do to the dough.”

“How is that even possible?” retorts Madeline. “It looks good.”

“I know the makings of an ugly pie when I see it. Mine, however, is going to be perfect.” Celeste points at the rolled out dough that’s sitting neatly in her pie tin, ready to be filled and baked.

“Isn’t that expected? But my pie’s going to be edible and that’s what matters most,” states Madeline as she sprinkles more flour on the counter so she can roll her dough better.

They joke around a few more times, stealing apple pieces from each other’s pie, tasting each other’s filling – Madeline almost drools and moans when she sees Celeste innocently dipping her finger in her pie filling, coating it with molasses and sugar, then putting that finger in her mouth, sucking it clean – until both tins are filled, covered with another layer of dough and ready to bake.

Once the pies are in the oven, it’s time to clean up the mess and wait.

“So much for being a neat expert pie baker. You even have flour on your hair,” remarks Madeline before they even start. She’s lying through her teeth to create an opportunity to touch Celeste since she feels like she hasn’t done that all day.

“I do not!” argues Celeste who starts patting and brushing her hair clean with her hand.

“You do. And not just on your hair…” Madeline reaches up to gently flick the imaginary flour from Celeste’s hair then carefully brushes Celeste’s cheek with her fingers as if cleaning it, going down to her neck and shoulder. She notices Celeste tensing and the woman’s reddening face but keeps her cool, acting as if there’s nothing unusual with her attentive touches or the effect they have.

As a final act, she uses both hands to pretend to fix the apron strap around Celeste’s neck, using the opportunity to brush her fingers against the woman’s collarbone.

“Much better,” she says with a smile once she’s done. “Now please clean up your kitchen.”

“E-excuse me? You’re the one who made a mess in my kitchen. You clean it up,” replies Celeste while trying to appear calm. In reality, her heart has been pounding like crazy since Madeline touched her hair and there are invisible yet burning trails on her skin left by Madeline’s fingers.

Madeline goes to pick up the remaining dough bits from her side of the counter and places them on Celeste’s much neater baking area. She smirks mischievously at the other woman and says, “You have more leftovers on your side. It’s so messy!”

“What?!” Celeste quickly stomps towards the counter, grabs a handful of apple slices and dumps them right in front of Madeline. “Now who’s messier?”

“Oh so you like to play rough, huh?” Madeline starts scooping the flour from the counter to then sprinkle it on Celeste’s side.

“HEY! Stop it!”

Before they know it, they’ve gotten into a very childish fight, throwing leftover ingredients from one side to another while laughing and yelling at each other.

Celeste pokes Madeline’s side when the blonde is preoccupied with taking off her apron and watches in amusement as the woman jumps.

“Oh so you’re ticklish?” she asks, grinning devilishly.

“No. H-hey! Stop!” Madeline squirms, twists and turns, trying to avoid Celeste’s poking. “Don’t!”

Celeste laughs and speeds up her attack, moving closer and closer to Madeline until a pair of hands grabs her arms, causing her to gasp in shock.

Once Madeline has had a firm hold on Celeste’s arms, she turns the woman, pushing her against the counter from behind and trapping her there.

“Hey! What are you-…” Celeste’s protest is cut short when she senses Madeline moving closer.

Madeline leans in, her body pressing against Celeste’s and her lips now less than an inch away from Celeste’s ear. Then she whispers, “I told you to stop,” only to feel Celeste shiver in her hold. She smirks, feeling her confidence growing thanks to the other woman’s reaction, and nuzzles the area below Celeste’s ear. “I really like your new perfume, by the way,” she says in a low voice before she boldly starts to press kisses on Celeste’s neck.

At first, Celeste is too shocked to do anything after Madeline has cornered her but when she hears her voice and feels her breath on her ear, she can’t stop herself from shivering, feeling the hair on her arms stand thanks to the sultry voice.

From the moment Madeline’s lips touch her skin, she can feel something burning inside her as she closes her eyes and unconsciously tilts her head, giving Madeline indirect consent to keep trailing kisses down her neck.

When Madeline gently turns her around and kisses her on the lips, she responds albeit timidly at first.

She lifts her hand when Madeline releases her arm, resting it lightly on the blonde’s shoulder and as their kisses grow intense, she can’t control the desire anymore and ends up wrapping both her arms around Madeline’s neck, her fingers tangled in the blond locks while she pulls her close, wanting to feel more of her.

Her eyes flutter open when Madeline breaks their kiss, meeting the pair of blue eyes staring back at her with an intense and passionate look that makes the fire within her burn even harder.

Madeline kisses her again and she feels the blonde’s hands slowly making their way down her body, causing her to gasp and tense, clawing at the back of Madeline’s neck.

“Mad…”

“Sshh… it’s okay. I’ll be gentle. I promise,” whispers Madeline against her lips before pulling back to look her in the eyes. “Just relax. I’ll take good care of you.”

As if she’s under Madeline’s spell, Celeste nods and relaxes, letting the other woman reassure her through more kisses and touches.

She holds her breath when Madeline’s palm travels lower, suppressing the urge to moan. Never in her life has she been treated so carefully or tenderly. Her husband’s the first and only person she’s ever done anything more than kissing with and he’s far from tender. He doesn’t exactly know how to pleasure her and she never thought that it was possible to enjoy making out for more than a minute until today.

Even Madeline’s tongue tastes and feels very different from his. Usually she’s not really fond of French kissing him so she wasn’t sure how it would feel when Madeline’s tongue entered her mouth, but now she can’t seem to get enough of it.

Suddenly, she feels Madeline’s hand reaching below her waist and stops it by reflex, grabbing Madeline’s wrist, causing the blonde to pull back and break their kiss.

“What… what are you doing?” she asks.

“Nothing you wouldn’t like,” replies Madeline with a smirk and a confident gaze. “Trust me. I won’t hurt you.”

“But… but… what are you… I mean, how are you going to…”

Madeline can’t help but chuckle when she sees the confused woman. “There are ways, you know. But if you don’t want me to touch you, I won’t use my hand.”

“Then how…” Celeste’s clearly inexperienced in the matter.

She watches in surprise when Madeline suddenly kneels down in front of her, their eyes never breaking contact.

“May I?” asks Madeline as she gently tugs her arm free from Celeste’s hold. “I will not hurt you. I promise. Trust me? Please?” She takes Celeste’s hand and places it against her cheek after kissing the palm.

Celeste exhales and nods shakily. Despite everything – her confusion, her uncertainty and her situation – the burning fire within needs to be extinguished and she knows that only Madeline is able to do so; that Madeline is the only one she wants right now.

Madeline slowly lifts Celeste’s dress, running her hand against the woman’s smooth legs and thighs while trying hard not to drool at the sight and sensation that greet her. She finally gives in to temptation by inching forward and planting a kiss on Celeste’s right thigh, hearing the woman gasp and flinch when her lips meet the warm skin.

The blonde looks up and smiles. “Do you mind?” she asks as she reaches up for the waistband of Celeste’s underwear, the dress now bunched up around Celeste’s waist.

Celeste shakes her head and turns red in the face when Madeline pulls the white fabric down to her ankles, shivering when the air hits her skin, feeling shy and vulnerable. She almost covers herself with her hands if not for Madeline stopping her.

“No hands, remember?” says Madeline. “And please don’t feel embarrassed or shy. You’re the most perfect woman I’ve ever seen.” She places another kiss on Celeste’s thigh, slowly inching higher, towards the center. “The most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” she says, looking at her again.

A second later and Celeste almost loses her balance when the most wonderful sensation hits her, courtesy of Madeline’s tongue. She quickly grabs the edge of the counter as she lets out a loud moan and looks down to see Madeline still looking up at her. The view arouses her so much that she can’t stop herself from reaching out, running her hand through Madeline’s hair.

That day is the first time Celeste has felt such intense pleasure and when she comes undone, holding onto the counter with whatever remaining strength she has – her breathing shallow and her brows damp with sweat – she knows that her life will never be the same again.


End file.
